Child development experts are urging Facebook to remove its new messaging app designed for kids. In a letter sent recently to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the group of experts argue that young children are not ready to have social media accounts or online relationships. Facebook launched the free Messenger Kids app in December. The app is meant for children under the age of 13. Facebook says the app provides a way for children to chat with family members as well as friends that their parents have approved. The app does not give children their own Facebook or Messenger accounts. Instead, it is connected to a child’s parent’s account. Facebook has said the app fills “a need for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love but also has the level of control parents want.” But critics say the app is a way for Facebook to bring in younger users before they choose another popular social media messaging service.
Title: Child Experts Protest Facebook's Kids Messenger App
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/kid_fb.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Child Experts Protest Facebook's Kids Messenger App' data-article-id='2866'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8667'>Child development experts are urging Facebook to remove its new messaging app designed for kids.</span> <span data-start-time='8667' data-end-time='26188'>In a letter sent recently to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the group of experts argue that young children are not ready to have social media accounts or online relationships.</span> <span data-start-time='26188' data-end-time='31292'>Facebook launched the free Messenger Kids app in December.</span> <span data-start-time='31292' data-end-time='36250'>The app is meant for children under the age of 13.</span> <span data-start-time='36250' data-end-time='46333'>Facebook says the app provides a way for children to chat with family members as well as friends that their parents have approved.</span> <span data-start-time='46333' data-end-time='52604'>The app does not give children their own Facebook or Messenger accounts.</span> <span data-start-time='52604' data-end-time='57979'>Instead, it is connected to a child’s parent’s account.</span> <span data-start-time='57979' data-end-time='71125'>Facebook has said the app fills “a need for a messaging app that lets kids connect with people they love but also has the level of control parents want.”</span> <span data-start-time='71125' data-end-time='82792'>But critics say the app is a way for Facebook to bring in younger users before they choose another popular social media messaging service.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/kid_fb.png'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=10101 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/what_does_app_mean.m4a'>What does app mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='computer program'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/message_board.m4a'><span>message board</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/social_media.m4a'><span>social media</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/kid_chat.m4a'><span>kid chat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/computer_program.m4a'><span>computer program</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=10102 data-hint-location='57979' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/who_can_kids_connect_with.m4a'>Who can kids connect with?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='people they love'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/other_parents.m4a'><span>other parents</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/people_they_love.m4a'><span>people they love</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/random_accounts.m4a'><span>random accounts</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/complete_strangers.m4a'><span>complete strangers</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=10103 data-hint-location='52604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/the_account_is_connected_to_a_parent__blank_.m4a'>The account is connected to a parent <span class='blank'>account</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='account'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/child.m4a'><span>child</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/connection.m4a'><span>connection</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/account.m4a'><span>account</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/message.m4a'><span>message</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/2350/kid_fb.m4a
Preview
